Compartmented file folio

ABSTRACT

A pocket file folio with inside pocket or pockets attached to the leaves only at hinges perpendicular to the main folio hinge is improved by adding means allowing pockets to open partially, while preventing them from falling open completely, when the folio is opened, and for restraining the folio itself from opening completely, thereby providing enhanced access and security to any pocketed sheet material and also enabling the entire folio to stand stably in an upright orientation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/980,336 filed Oct. 16, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention resides in the field of file folios or folios and more particularly relates to the design and arrangement of the panels, flaps, and pockets which make up such folios.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There are a substantial number of file folders which are the subject of prior art patents. The nature of such folios is that they are comprised of unique arrangements of support panels, flaps, pockets, identifying devices, and the like. Also, there exists a great variety of manufacturing processes and procedures to produce these folios by folding sheet materials, securing the resulting configuration by tabs, adhesives, clips, rivits, and similar devices.

Examples of such folios are so numerous that a listing of patents typical of this field of art is not needed to inform those skilled in the art of the highly developed nature of these items.

Applicant's invention is directed to an arrangement of panels and flaps where, except for a single mutually corresponding edge, the flaps are not joined to the panels at any other location. They instead rely on an additional flexible bridge member between two of the components to hold those components in a manner which will prevent papers disposed within the folio from falling out when the folio is opened in a relatively upright position. The inventor knows of no prior art which discloses or suggests this novel arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention may be summarized as a two or more panel folio for filing and organizing sheets of paper or any other generally flat objects the structure of the folio providing for it to stand upright with enhanced exchange of the contents when in use. In a first embodiment, the folio consists only of a front and back panel hingedly joined along a vertical edge, each panel having a lower or bottom flap hingedly joined to its panel on a bottom horizontal edge on the same line. The flaps are not joined to their respective panels in any other way and therefore would be free to fall completely open and away from the panels when the folio is opened in an upright position except that an operative connecting means is provided between the front and back flaps.

The extent to which the flaps will move away from their respective panels, that is, rotate about their common lower horizontal hinge line is constrained by means that automatically opens the flaps together while preventing them from flopping completely open when the folio is opened in an upright orientation.

A variety of means may be employed for this purpose, an additional flexible bridge member composed of, for example, cloth, plastic, or even string. However, in the first embodiment of the invention, the flaps themselves are part of a single continuous portion of the folio fabricating material joined by a hinged bridge folded from a portion of each flap near their vertical join into what will form a Vee shaped or tent like structure when the folio is opened. The inherent pull of the folded bridge, will induce the flaps to open a limited amount while restraining each other from falling entirely forward and down. Access to the objects contained within the folio and resting on the horizontal attaching joint of the panels and flaps will then be provided in an enhanced manner.

Also, the spreading apart of the two panels is restrained by the pull of the bridge, so the opening of the folio is impeded sufficiently that the it may be placed in a stable upright position on a flat surface and support itself.

In addition to the bottom or lower flaps, a similar set of upper or top flaps may be added with or without a bridge member of the type described above. Such top flaps will provide additional segregated spaces for organizing materials within the folio as well as for holding the papers in place in a more secure manner.

Further, the design and layout of the panels and flaps of the invention lends itself to construction from a single sheet of low cost stock cut and scored in a manner to provide a finished folio without the use of glue, rivets, staples, or other such attachment devices.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of the first embodiment and drawings, which follow.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an unfolded pattern of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a completed folded pattern of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a completed folded pattern of the preferred embodiment of the invention in use;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in a first state; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in a second state.

DESCRIPTION OF A FIRST EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a plan view of a die-cut pattern 10 suitable for flat-bed die-cutting and folding into a finished folio constituting the first embodiment of the invention. The pattern is also suitable for production on a high speed rotary web-fed die-cutting envelope machine. Back panel 12 is joined to front panel 14 along foldable mutually corresponding inner vertical edge 16, the terms front and back relating to the finished unit and are presented for reference purposes as they are reversible. That is, either panel may be folded over the other, right to left or left to right.

Back panel lower flap 18 is joined to back panel 12 along foldable mutually corresponding lower horizontal edge 20 and front panel lower flap 22 is joined to front panel 14 along foldable corresponding lower horizontal edge 24. Lower flaps 18 and 22 are mutually joined by triangular connecting bridge member 26 along foldable diagonal edges 28 a and 28 b. An additional vertical foldable edge 30 divides bridge 26 into two additional triangular equal parts 32 a and 32 b. Space 34 is cut out to assist folding the pattern into the finished folio, and to eliminate easily damaged corners on the finished folio.

As shown, the connecting bridge is preferably a continuation of the base stock material of the folio designed by those skilled in the arts of die cutting and scoring to join the flaps front to back with a bridge member having scores and folds added to improve the cooperative action of the flaps. In FIG. 1 as well as FIG. 2, dashed lines are fold lines which may be scored to facilitate the folding procedure.

This arrangement of panels, flaps, and fold lines may optionally be repeated at the top of the pattern as follows. Back panel top flap 36 is joined to back panel 12 along top foldable mutually corresponding upper horizontal edge 38 and front panel top flap 40 is joined to front panel 14 along top foldable mutually corresponding upper horizontal edge 42. Top flaps 36 and 40 may also be joined by a triangular connecting bridge member 44 along foldable diagonal edges 46 a and 46 b. An additional vertical foldable edge 48 divides bridge 44 into two additional triangular equal parts 50 a and 50 b. Space 52 is also cut out for the same reasons as space 34.

FIG. 2 illustrates the card stock pattern described above in a finished state, the upper and lower flaps folded against their respective panels and the bridge members ready to be folded outward from the panels as will further be described. Further, additional space or width may be created at the bottom of the folio along the lower mutual edges of the panels and flaps by additional foldable score lines 54 and 56 resulting in shelves 58 and 60. Further, additional clearance may be provided for storing tall sheets in front of the upper flaps by cutting away part of the upper bridge at its lower edge.

FIG. 3 shows the folio in closed position containing paper sheet 62 held between front panel 14 and flap 22 and sheet 64 held between back panel 12, and flaps 18 and 40 illustrating the variety of possibilities for dividing materials into four groups of common interest.

FIGS. 4 and 5 each show the folio of the invention in an open upright position illustrating the operation of flap connecting bridge member 26. In FIG. 4, bridge member 26 is shown in a flattened, inactivated state, that is, the lines creating the two sections of the bridge remain unfolded and do not extend when the folio is opened.

FIG. 5 illustrates how bridge member 26 acts to pull flaps 18 and 22 outwardly from their respective panels after the bridge is created by folding the card stock along the appropriate score lines as described above. When the bridge is in the condition indicated in FIG. 5, it will close accordion fashion along axes 30, 28 a and 28 b between the two flaps when the folio is closed

As variations in the above described preferred embodiment will now become obvious to those skilled in the art, the invention is accordingly defined by the following claims. 

1. A filing folio fabricated of sheet material comprising at least two panels hingedly joined on a vertical line having at least one internal flap hingedly joined on a horizontal line and means causing the flap or flaps to open partially when the folio is opened while restraining them from opening completely.
 2. A filing folio fabricated of sheet material comprising at least two panels hingedly joined on a vertical line and at least two internal flaps hingedly joined to the panels on horizontal lines with means interconnecting the flaps so as to cause the flaps to open partially when the folio is opened while restraining them from opening completely.
 3. The filing folio of claim 2 in which the interconnecting means has no direct attachment to the panels.
 4. The filing folio of claim 3 in which the hinge lines of the internal flaps when the folio is completely open and flat lie on the same line.
 5. The filing folio of claim 3 in which the interconnecting means is folded from the stock material of the folio.
 6. The filing folio of claim 5 wherein said means comprises a bridge member that is an extension of each of said flaps along at least a portion of said mutually corresponding edges of said flaps.
 7. A dual panel file folio fabricated from sheet material comprising in combination: A. a first rectangular back panel; B. a second rectangular front panel hingedly joined to said first panel along a mutually corresponding inner vertical edge; C. a first lower rectangular flap hingedly joined to said first panel along a mutually corresponding lower horizontal edge; D. a second lower rectangular flap hingedly joined to said second panel along a mutually corresponding lower horizontal edge, each of said flaps joined to said panels only along said mutually corresponding lower horizontal edges; and E. a flexible bridge member linking the mutually corresponding inner edges of each of said flaps, said bridge member arranged to limit the outward extension of each of said flaps from each of said panels when said folio is arranged in an upright opened position.
 8. The file folio of claim 7 wherein said bridge member comprises an extension of each of said flaps along at least a portion of said mutually corresponding inner edges of each of said flaps.
 9. The file folio of claim 8 wherein said mutually corresponding inner edges of each of said flaps are diagonally opposed and said bridge member comprises two triangularly shaped panels each hingedly joined on one side to one of said diagonally opposed edges and hingedly joined to each other along a mutually corresponding vertical edge aligned with said mutually corresponding inner vertical edge of said panels.
 10. The file folio of claim 9 further including: A. a first upper rectangular flap hingedly joined to said first panel along a mutually corresponding upper horizontal edge; B. a second upper rectangular flap hingedly joined to said second panel along a mutually corresponding upper horizontal edge, each of said flaps joined to said panels only along said mutually corresponding upper horizontal edges; and C. a flexible bridge member linking the mutually corresponding inner edges of each of said flaps, said bridge member arranged to limit the outward extension of each of said flaps from each of said panels when said folio is arranged in an upright opened position. 